Daraa – Halim Muhammad

Industrialists in the industrial zone of Daraa province in southern Syria have complained about the reduction in electricity supply hours, which has affected the quality of the production process, especially during the daytime.

The industrial zone in Daraa is a vital center that gathers all the industrialists in the city, as the city council prohibits opening any industrial facility outside this zone.

The shops in the industrial zone vary between car and motorcycle mechanics, blacksmithing, carpentry, and other crafts and industries.

Only three hours

Ghassan al-Kour, the owner of a furniture shop in the industrial zone, stated that electricity only comes for three hours out of 24.

Al-Kour added that he stops working during power outages, as he does not have a generator, and the price of diesel remains high, adding extra costs for industrialists.

The price of a liter of diesel has reached 13,000 Syrian pounds (approximately 1.3 USD), and a generator requires between four to six liters per hour.

Al-Kour called for a continuous supply of electricity, especially during the daytime hours, which are peak working hours in the industrial zone.

Thaer al-Miqdad, who works in car painting in the industrial zone, told Enab Baladi that the continuous power outages are the biggest obstacle for industrialists, as they are directly linked to their capital.

According to al-Miqdad, power outages are recurring, with supposed connectivity lasting 12 hours during the daytime.

He added that industrialists pay 1,200 Syrian pounds (10 cents) per kilowatt, and yet this amount is still less expensive than operating a diesel generator.

Moreover, industrialists in Daraa suffer from a lack of public services in the industrial zone, such as sewage systems, poor road quality, and waste accumulation at the edges of the industrial area.

Overload issues

Khaled Abodi, the general director of the General Establishment for the Transmission and Distribution of Electricity in Syria, told Enab Baladi that the recurring outages in the industrial zone in Daraa are due to several reasons, including frequency protection, which safeguards the electrical system from frequency changes caused by increased load. This leads to the automatic disconnection of power once the permissible load limit is exceeded.

Abodi added that the conversion stations and networks need maintenance, and the establishment is working on this with minimal resources due to the lack of necessary maintenance parts.

He divided the electricity development and improvement plans into three phases:

• Emergency Phase: This current phase aims to reduce the hours of power rationing.
• Construction Phase: This aims to provide good electricity supply to citizens.
• Development Phase: This strives for self-sufficiency and delivering electricity to every citizen.

The past ten years have exacerbated the service conditions related to electricity in the areas previously controlled by the ousted Assad regime, as individual electricity consumption from the state has dwindled to 15% of what it was in 2010, according to a research study conducted by researchers Sinan Hatahet and Karam Shaar in September 2021.

The direct damages due to the destruction of the electricity system in Syria as a result of the war amount to around 40 billion USD, while indirect damages exceeded 80 billion USD, according to statements by former electricity minister Ghassan al-Zamel in May 2024, who previously attributed the electricity problem to the lack of fuel supply as well.

Jordan’s electricity minister, Saleh al-Kharabsheh, expressed Jordan’s readiness to supply Syria with approximately 250 megawatts of electricity immediately, once the electricity interconnection line between the two countries within the Syrian side is ready.